Combined cane and tripod.



EATENTEE DEG. 5, .19.05.

AWGHNE W. F. CLARK. COMBINED GANBAND TRIPOD. vAPELIUATION FILED 11:13.10.v 1905.

WALTER FRANKLIN CLARK, oF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED CANE AND TRlPoD.

To all whom it may con/cern: Be it known thatI, WALTER FRANKLIN CLARK, a citizen of the United-States, and aj resident of St.Louis, in the State of'Missourij have invented' a new and Improved Combined Cane and Tripod, of which the following isa full, clear, and eXact description.

The object of this. invention is to provide novel details of construction for a tripod which enable it to be very closely folded and. when folded simulate the form of a walking-cane, a further object being to provide a vertically-.adjustable standard that is' contained within the tripod-legs when they are per end which is both rotatable and inclin` able, so that the improved tripod maybe eIn- Y ployed for the support of a camera' or serve closelyfolded together and which may be eX- tended therefrom to add to the heightv of the tripod, the extension ofthe standard serving; to divergey the legs of the tripod and holdj them spread'apa'rt a desired distance, the standard having a bracket-plate on the upas a music-supporting stand. To these ends the invention consists novel .construction and combination of parts,

.as is hereinafter described, and dened in the appended claims.

tion, in which similar characters. of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ,the views.

Figure 1 is a side view-of thev device having the legs closed and formin a walking-cane.

Fig. 2 is a partly-sections; elevation of the device with the legs diverged to produce a tripod, the-.lower portions of the two legs shown being removed. Fig. 3 is. a longitu; dinal sectional view through the center ofthe device, showing the. parts folded. Fig.

A 4 is an enlarged transversepsectional view .showing the hinged connections of the' legs of the. tripod with the coupling-headfsub-4 stantially on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an 'enlarged transverse sectional view sub'- stantially on the line 6 6 in' Fig. 2'. Fig'.`7 is an enlarged perspective view'of'the .upper portion of a camera-support lemployed in connection .with the tripod, and Fig. 8 isanA enlarged erspective view of a braclretnlipj plate emp oyed.

Thereare three similar legs provided as the principal members of the improved tripod.

These legs, that are preferably formed of Speccation of'. Letters Patent. I Application filed February 10, 1905. Serial No. 245,099.

in theE j 'lindrical bo Reference is to be yhad to the accompany` ing drawings, forming a part of this specificaupon the coupling-head :bolts 13, that are respectively inserted in Patented Dec. v5, i905.-

me'ans, each representsthe one-third portion of a tapered tube, of which 1 0 is the segmental side wall, and 1 0a the inwardly-trending stieningsteelplate cut and bent into shape by proper wings formed integrally therewith, said wings on the legs having contacting pairs when the -legs are completely folded together,`asshown in Fig. 5. This folded adjustment gives the exterior surface of the legs a conicocylindricalformthat is, the conventional shape of a walking-can'e-and thev length of said legs is proportione'dto permit them when folded to serve vas 'a cane.v It will bel seen that although the' legs' 10 108' of. the tripod are formed of thin sheet-'steel the provision of the inwardly-radial wings 10a on thesegmental wall 10 of a leg greatly stiens the legs, so as to ada t them for reliable service.

Upon t e up er end of each sheet-metal lega hinge-bloc 11 is secured by rivets or screws, and ,these similar hinge-blocks, that are preferably formed .of aluminium metal, are segmental in cross-section and each provided with two hinge-leaves 11a, that are spaced yapart and project parallel planes.

from the upper end of the block-body. j A couplin -head 12, having a mainly-.cy-

(ly formed of aluminium metal and preferably provided with a circumferential bead 12a on its lower end, is longitudinally slotted from the normally lower end u lward at six points, so spaced apart that t e tongues or hinge-leaves 11a may be insertedl therein and all these hinge-leaves be ivoted alined perforations formed inthe adjacent portions ofthe head 12 and respective pairs of'leaves llhand it will be seen that the hinged connections of the legs permits them `to bediverged at their lower ends or folded so as; to give them conico-cylindrical form ex- .teriorly.A The coupling-head 12 is longitudinally and centrally perforated of a suitable diameter, and for a `portion ofV its length said y means o pintlcs IOOv perforationY ais enlarged from its,- upper end I' downward, as appears at a in Fig. 2.- The outer surface of the coupling-head l2 is threaded for reception of a cap-nut 14, which may'b'e freely screwed thereon. `A prefer.- n

ably tubular metal standard 15 is fitted to slide in the perforation a and also through an alfined perforation in thejcapportio'n'of the nut 14:, so that the standard may be reciprocated in the'couplin -head 12. The counterbore a in the coup g-head 12 is rendered coniform in its lower portion, as at a2, and the interior surface of the cap portion of the nut 14 is beveled at the corner above the internal thread of the nut, as shown at c3 in Fi a 2.

In the counterbore a two clutch-b oeks 16 are iitted loosely, these similar blocks having opposite preferably V-shaped channels b in their adjacent faces, which will receive the body of the standard 15 the blocks being suitably spaced apart when in contact with the standard. The conveXed outer faces of the blocks 16 are rendered coniform on their lower portions to conform with the coniform inner wall a2 of the lower portion of the coupling-head 12, and their upper outer corners are beveled to have a roper bearing upon the beveled surface a3 o the cap-nut 14. It will be seen that if it is desired to secure the standard 15 at any point of sliding adjustment in the coupling-head 12 this may be readily eHected by screwing the cap-nut 14 downward7 as this will press upon the beveled ends of the clutch-blocks 16 and force them toward each other, thus clamping the standard upon the coupling-head.

A runner-band 17 is loosely mounted upon the portion of the standard 15 extending below the coupling-head 12 and is prevented from displacement at the lower end of the standard by an abutment-pin c, which projects from the latter near said lower end. A set of three stretcher-rods 18 is employed for the connection of the band 17 with the legs of the tripod, said rods having one end of each hinged, as at c2, upon the runner-baud at equal distances apart, their opposite ends being/ jointed upon the inner sides of the legs,

preferably by a pivoted engagement of said ends with short ears d, that respectively project from the inner surface of the segmental Wall 10 of each leg at its transverse center. The length of the rods 18 and the points of their connection with the legs of the tripod adapt the rods to hold the legs spread apart a suitable degree when said stretcher-rods are projected in the` same plane at right angles tothe axis of the standard 15, as is shown in Fig. 2, the runner-band being positioned nearto or in contact with the abutment-pin c at this time and the standard 1,5 elevated its full height, as appears in said figure, At a roper point above the abutment-pin c anot er abutment-pin c is rofected from the standard 15, the use of wlhic will presently ap ear.v

Tpon the upper end of the standard 15 a short arm 1. 5'f1 is j ointed by an adjustable pivotbolt e, which will so clamp the aws of the slot-and-tongue joint as to hold the arm at any desired inclination from alinement with the standard. A bracket-plate 19 is secured upon the upper end of the arm 15, and through the center of said plate a threaded bolt -g is passed down into the tubular standard, the bolt having a toe g projected from its side near the lower' end thereof, the to@ entering a slot 7L in the wall of the standard, said slot being in the form of an inverted L, the lateral extension of which is at a point near the bracket-plate. It will be seen that if the threaded end of the bolt g is drawn upward and the toe g is turned into the lateral portion of the slot L said bolt will be sufiiciently projected above the bracket-plate for connection therewith of the usual nut in the bottom of a camera, so as to hold the calnera on the bracket-plate.

In some eases it may be preferred to make a quicker connection with and effect an instant detachment of the camera to and from the upper portion of the tripod. To this end a bracket clip-plate 20 is employed, the construction and application of which is clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The clip-plate 2() is formed of a rectangular plate of spring metal which at the longitudinal center is returnbent,as appears at ,thus providing two spaced members, one member being llat and the other member 20 curved at the free end, so

' as to bend it away from the flat member.

The clip-plate member 20 is slotted at the transverse center from the curved free end toward the other end ast the center of length, as shown at 7 in (ig. 8. In the ilat member of the clip-plate at its center of length and width a screw-threaded stud m is aixed, which projects sufliciently therefrom to adapt it to engage with a threaded )erforation in the bottom wall of a camera, 7Vhen the clip-plate 2Q 20" is to be employed for the detachable connection of a camera with the bracket-plate 19, the stud 'nt is ilrst screwed into a suitable nut in the bottom wall of the camera, thus attaching it thereto. The stud- `bolt g is turned in the transverse member of the slot It, so that it enters the vertical portion of the slot, which will permit the depression of the bolt g sufficiently to allow the bracket clip-plate member 20 to slide upon the braeketlate 19, the short projecting portion of t e stud-bolt passing into and through the slot c, which will connect the camera with the standard-arm 15u and permit the instant detachment of the camera from the same by sim ly pulling upon it, so as to remove the brac ret clip-plate from the plate 19.

It will be seen that as the standard 15 mayy be turned around if the cap-nut 14 is slightly retracted and the arm 15a is permitted to re ceive more or less inclination from a vertical plane the camera when mounted u on the standard may be adjusted to take 1n a desired view, the provision of the jointed arm enabling the correct adjustment of the camera if the tripod is standing on uneven ground and inclined from an upright position.

When the tri od is to be folded so as to cause its legs to rave contact and the device assume the form of a cane, this may be readily IOO lIO

effected by first removing the camera, then releasing the standard by slackeningthe cap-nut 14, and iinally pressing upon'the' bracket-plate 19 so as toshove the standard downward. This downward slidingmovement of the standard will cause the abutmentstud c to press upon the runner-band 17, which will eX the joints c2 when the standard is partially depressed, a further sliding movement ofthe standard serving toiold the stretcher-rods 18 within the legs of the tripod and complete the insertion of the standard therein, as is indicated in Fig. 3. When the standard 15'is fully inserted within the legs ofthe tripod, the bracket-plate 19 will become seated'upon the'cap'nut 14, thus aiiording a top plate for vthe cane, and the lower vends of the legs may be held banded together detachably by a removable socketed tip or by any other preferred means.

The improved tripod is designed to facilitate the use of a camera by tourists and others where the portage'oi the usual tripod is burdensome and otherwise objectionable, and it is evident that the device may also be utilized as a movable support for music-sheets or a book, if this is desired.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters` Patent- 1. In a tripod of the character described, the combination with three plate-metal taered legs, and a coupling-head hinged upon blocks on the upper ends of the legs, of a cylindrical standard slidable through the'coupling-head, a short arm carrying a bracketplate on one end, and having a joint therein,

and a joint connectin said arm with the u per end oi" the stan ard, a pair of clutc blocks 'loosely-held in a chamber within the coupling-head, a cap-nuton the couplinghead adapted to press upon the clutch-blocks and clamp them upon the standard, a runnerband loosely mounted upon the lower por- 'i tion oi the standard, three stretcher-rods pivote'd by an end of each 4upon the runnerband and at opposite ends upon the respective legs, abutment-pins projected from the standard for contacting alternately with the runner-ring, and inclinable means carried upon the upper end of the standard Yfor supj lporting an object.

' securable upon an object and adapted to clasp the bracket-plate which is secured upon the arm of the standard.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to vthis specification in the presence oi' Ytwo subscribing witnesses.

WALTER- FRANKLIN CLARK.

Witnesses:

Rien.' E. YSPACKLER, Trios. F. CooK. 

